Gypsy Heart
by Maen41
Summary: OC, AU. Nesti has no intention of leaving the Jedi to be the queen that she was born to be until her mother, Queen of Mandoria, dies and she's forced to choose between the Jedi and her duty to her planet and people.
1. Chapter 1:  Nesti's Secret

Summary: Royalty takes place in Jedi form in Nesti Selthalene. She grows up at the Temple learning to be a Jedi and hiding the fact that she's Banestalei Senteri, heiress to the throne of Mandoria. However, when the Clone Wars begin and the Queen of Mandoria dies and no one is there to replace her, Nesti is forced to make a heartbreaking choice between the way things have always been, or the way she wants them to be.

Details: Slightly AU in that Nesti is Mace Windu's Padawan. OC.

Author's note: In the part where they take off their outer tunics, keep note of the outer part of outer tunics; neither of them are topless or inappropriately dressed.

Gypsy Heart

Chapter One: Nesti's Secret

"The Mat 7 match goes to Obi-Wan Kenobi. Now onto Mat 3…" Nesti Selthalene slumped back onto the mat, groaning as the announcer proclaimed to all the tournament attendants that she had lost to Obi-Wan, fellow classmate and one of her best friends. Smiling, Obi-Wan leaned down and extended a hand to her.

"You didn't fight like I know you can." He said, heaving her off the floor. "That's too bad. I do enjoy a challenge."

Nesti lifted her chin, brushing herself off. "It's not that I didn't fight well, it's that you got better over the eight, nine months we haven't seen each other. So really it's your fault that you're no longer challenged by me, not mine."

That made Obi-Wan laugh. She sighed inwardly. It was obvious even to her that he hadn't been laughing as much since Master Tahl died and the Jinn/Kenobi team spent more time on missions than ever, due to the request of Master Jinn.

Of course, she only knew that because her Master was Mace Windu, Council member and advisor to Master Yoda. After every Council meeting, Windu would come back to their quarters and vent about whatever crisis was going on or whatever team was causing a particularly large amount of trouble. Most often, however, he'd vent about Master Jinn.

"I don't understand." Windu had said only last night after Jinn had come to the Council requesting another mission after having only a two-day break. "Why does he do this? After Tahl's death, he seems to have trouble staying in one place for more than 48 hours. And not only is it draining for him, he's dragging his Padawan everywhere as well. I mean, if he can't think of himself, I wish he'd think of Obi-Wan. He—."

Nesti was jostled out of memory by Obi-Wan bumping her lightly. "Hey, the next tournament is starting. We need to get to the sidelines." He said softly, nudging her towards the side of the arena.

Nesti nodded, moving slowly to the side. "So, you want to study for the test in the Fountain room or go to the gardens?"

Obi-Wan looked at her strangely. "T-test? What test? We don't have a tes…oh." He sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. "The astrophysics mega-test, I remember. Sithspit, it's due by the end of the week. I'll never finish studying in time."

Nesti sat down on one of the benches, snatching a rag off her bag and scrubbing her face with it. "Don't worry about it, you'll do fine. You're a natural, and besides, I'd bet that Master Yelova will take into consideration that you haven't been around very much recently to work on it. You know she's fair."

Obi-Wan nodded, sighing again. "I know, I just—I wish I could have remembered so I could have at least worked on it on one of the flights back to the Temple, or something. The last one was so boring that some studying material would have been welcome."

Nesti laughed, elbowing him. "No more heated debates with your Master anymore, eh pal?"

The way Obi-Wan looked at her made her bite her lip. _Stupid, stupid. You know what Qui-Gon's been like recently. Force, you probably—_

"No, no heated debates, no anything from him, really. If he would just—."

"Race you to the garden, then!" Nesti cried, hopping up and rounding the corner out of the room in a flash. Obi-Wan wasn't far behind her.

"Last one there has to jump in the water with all their clothes on." He called up to her, laughing. _Yes! Two in one day!_ Nesti thought, doing a little victory dance…which was cut short by Obi-Wan whizzing by her down the hall.

She gave a little shriek as he went by and stopped her mini-dance to scamper after him. "No fair!" She called up to him.

Obi-Wan just looked over his shoulder and laughed upon seeing her expression.

_Thirty minutes later_

They had ended up chasing each other around the pool, through the forest of newly planted saplings, and over the rock-hills before Obi-Wan good-naturedly accepted Nesti's unlikely victory. He sat down on the grassy shore of the pool, catching his breath.

Nesti plopped down next to him. "Now you've got to jump in the pool with all your clothes on, remember?" She asked, giving him a little shove.

Obi-Wan struggled to regain his balance, then leaned back against a rock. "I need to catch my breath so I don't drown when I do."

The girl made a face. "And that would just be so awful, wouldn't it?"

Obi-Wan shrugged. "Possibly. Although I suppose—." He was cut off by Nesti shoving him into the water. After he'd come up and taken a few deep gulps of air, he shouted, "That isn't fair! You took me by surprise."

He heard Nesti laughing. "I suppose you'll have to jump in again, then."

Obi-Wan grinned slowly. "No, I'll just have to give you the same treatment." He used the Force to pull her into the water, making sure to let go of her as she fell so that he didn't end up accidentally drowning her.

They splashed each other for awhile, using the Force to make the waves more compact, or to make funnels around their opponent. When they had finally worn out all their ideas and themselves, they crawled up onto the beach to dry.

Obi-Wan pulled off his outer tunic, leaving his inner tunic to dry on his body, rather than on the grass. Nesti did the same, but as she lay her tunic next to his, he noticed a strange tattoo on her arm. It was a blue line star, with red tendrils entwining the edges and the shape of a golden gem in the middle.

"What's that?" He asked, reaching out to touch it.

Nesti recoiled. "That's nothing. It's just ah…it's just—."

"The Mandorian symbol of royalty." Obi-Wan finished for her. "How did you get it?"

Nesti slumped on the ground, resting her head on her knees. "I got it at birth. My parents are King Ajdenmar and Queen Urvien or Mandoria, and yes, I'm a Mandorian princess." When she looked up at him her face held a mixture of sadness, disgust, and a little pride. "I don't want to be, believe me. They sent me here because no other Mandorian had ever been a Jedi…at least until I was born. As far as I know, they found a replacement for me as heiress and—."

"Heiress?" Obi-Wan asked incredulously. This was too much. _First she's Mandorian royalty, and now she's the heiress to the throne? What's next, she's related to me? __**Oh, come on.**_He thought, trying to bring himself out of his disbelief. _So she's a Mandorian heiress to her mother's throne. She's still your friend._

Nesti nodded, biting her lip. "Yes, I'm an heiress. But I—."

"Don't." Obi-Wan said gently, standing and gathering up all his things. "I understand. You can't change who you are, who you were born to be, and I can respect that." He smiled. "And don't worry, I'll always treat you like Nesti. Some unexpected news can never change that."

Nesti looked relieved. "Thank you." She whispered, following his lead and gathering her belongings.

Obi-Wan was already leaving the garden. "You're welcome. I'll just study in my quarters, if that's alright with you."

Nesti nodded. "Yeah, that's fine. I'll see you tomorrow?"

He made a face. "Maybe. Who knows, Qui-Gon might have us on another mission."

"Okay. Maybe see you tomorrow." Nesti called from the other side of the garden; her quarters were in a different direction than his.

Obi-Wan smiled. "Bye." He left the room and started in the direction of his and Qui-Gon's quarters, wishing that he could have been certain about being at the Temple for a third day.


	2. Chapter 2:  Research

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or the song Gypsy Heart by Michelle Tumes. George Lucas owns Star Wars and everything associated with it, and Michelle Tumes owns Gypsy Heart. I am simply borrowing their ideas and making them better.

Also, please tell me if Nesti and the Mandorian populace in general seems Mary-Sueish.

Chapter Two: Research

Obi-Wan slumped down at one of the databases at the Jedi Archives. The night before he'd studied until 2:30, then slept two and a half hours past his earliest class and was assigned extra work. On top of that, he'd completely missed lunch and had to spar on an empty stomach.

He shifted so he could see the chrono on the desk. _4:27. Hopefully I didn't have anything else planned for the day._ He thought, running a hand through his hair.

Obi-Wan sighed, tapping a password into the keyboard and waiting for the screen to load. Once it did, he typed in '**Mandorians**'. Again, he waited a moment for the search to be processed. His patience was rewarded with a small 'ding' and words appearing on the screen.

'**Mandorians: Home world: Mandoria. **

**Main language: Mandorian. **

**Government: Monarchy. **

**Unique Qualities: The species is immortal, although their life-ball—a small lump in the wrist that omits a chemical that will repair, or grow back, a wound or limb—If severed, will destroy them. Studies show that if the hand with the 'life-ball' is severed from the body, the specimen is permenantly immortal, as the lump cannot be severed.**

** ...**

The list went on, but Obi-Wan was too surprised to continue reading. _Well, she's not related to me, which I suppose is something, but this was completely unexpected. Immortal…_He thought, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes.

He must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew, Jocasta Nu was shaking him gently, saying, "Padawan Kenobi, it is late and Master Jinn wants you at your quarters."

Obi-Wan shook himself. "What?" He asked groggily, stretching and looking around. "How in the Republic did I…oh no." He'd caught a glimpse of the time on the wall-chrono. The time read approximately 11:25 at night. "I've really got to go." He gasped, snatching up his books from the desk and taking off towards the quarters he shared with Qui-Gon.

When he reached them, he slowed to a halt, seeing his Master's expression and his tapping foot. Obi-Wan ducked his head. "I'm sorry Master, I was just looking something up and I must have fallen asleep when I leaned back in my chair. I didn't mean to." He added, risking a glance up at Qui-Gon's stone-still face.

"We received orders to go on another mission seven hours ago." The Jedi Master growled. "We were to leave in two hours, so I was just heading out to the speeder bay to book a trip to the spaceport. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to pack your things as well as mine."

Obi-Wan stared up at him, trying to comprehend what he meant. "I-I'm sorry, Master. I don't see what that has to—."

"You're staying here." Qui-Gon interrupted, picking his bag up off the tiled floor and hoisting it over his shoulder. "I arranged for some snacks to be in the pantry for after classes, so you won't starve to death while you're waiting for evening meal." He started down the hall. "I'll be back in a week or so." The man tossed over his shoulder.

Obi-Wan could only stare after him, shocked. He felt like he was in a nightmare. One of the nightmares where you can't move, speak, or even think straight. He wanted to scream at Qui-Gon to wait a moment; he'd pack his things in less than a minute and be able to accompany him. He also wanted to say that he didn't want to go anyways and it wasn't any trouble Qui-Gon was leaving without him, so long as he didn't have to spend another moment with the Master.

But what he really wanted to do was reach through their bond to his Master's mind and whisper that Tahl had promised the same thing to Bant, and that he didn't want to be left alone.

What he wanted to do and what he really did, stand there and watch as his Master headed on a potentially dangerous mission without him, were two completely separate things.

Nesti watched as Obi-Wan trudged up the hall and entered their Politics class the next day. _He seems…tired—no, exhausted—frustrated, and…worried? Why worried? Did something happen? Where's—_Her thoughts were interrupted by the chime signaling the start of the first class session of the day.

Glancing around, she noticed that everyone else was already in their class chambers and rushed into the room Obi-Wan had just entered and slid into her seat just in time for roll call.

"Hey, what's the matter?" She asked Obi-Wan as the Teacher's Assistant called out names one by one.

Obi-Wan shrugged. "Nothing." He said heavily, picking up his stylus and twirling it in his fingers. "Just that I fell asleep in the archives yesterday, so Qui-Gon decided to leave me here while he went on the mission we were assigned while I was dozing."

Nesti bit her lip, wishing she hadn't asked. She was trying to figure out what to say when the Assistant called her name. She raised her hand silently, then he moved onto Obi-Wan, then the next student.

She leaned in close again. "What were you researching?" She whispered.

Now Obi-Wan bit his lip. "Mandorians." He whispered back sheepishly.

Nesti's stomach clenched. "You know, I had my life-ball removed when I turned ten and was given the choice between the Jedi or sovereignty." She snapped quietly. "I'm not one of those stuck-up Mandorians who go around boasting that someone can chop their head off and it won't matter because hey, they're immortal."

Her voice had gotten loud towards the end without her realizing and the teacher sent her a glare from the front of the room. Obi-Wan leaned closer to her so they could speak more quietly. "If they're permanently immortal without the life-blood hand, why don't they all just cut it off?" He asked, glancing at the teacher.

Nesti snorted. "The chemicals that the ball releases that allow us to live even from wounds that would kill someone ordinary also cause a reaction in our brains that doesn't allow us to injure ourselves in any way." She made a face. "That made force-jumping from the tops of building sort of difficult when I started at first."

Obi-Wan laughed at that, causing the teacher to give them his 'Seriously, stop it' look. That made Obi-Wan laugh harder, which made Nesti smile as she felt the worry she'd been aware of slip away into the corner of his mind.


	3. Chapter 3:  Solace

A/N: I just want to clear something up really quick about Mandoria and everything associated with it. It has nothing to do with Mandalore, and I had the idea of Mandoria before I'd even heard of Mandalore, Mandalorians, etc., and any similarities between the two are completely coincidental.

That, and thank you for reading.

Chapter 3: Solace

_Three years later…_

"Nesti, I'm not going to tell you again."

"I need a break! We've just gotten back from a six month mission that was extremely grueling, and I'm tired!"

"You can rest here."

"There is no 'rest' here. If I stay here, I'm going to need to go to class tomorrow morning. **I need a break!"**

"What do you mean, 'if'? You're staying at the Temple."

"But Master—."

"You know better than to 'but' at me."

A heavy sigh. "Yes, Master."

Nesti slumped into her chamber and flopped down on her bed. _Really, Master Windu is too strict. Why can't he see I need some peace and quiet? I wish he'd left me behind."_ Except she didn't, not after seeing Obi-Wan stress when Qui-Gon left him at the Temple. He'd been so worried about Qui-Gon getting captured or injured and those fears nearly been realized when his Master had been gone a full month longer than planned. His friend Bant had gotten back from one of her missions during that time and had comforted him, knowing what it was like to be worried for a Master on a mission, but that hadn't worked very well. Qui-Gon had eventually returned home, but Nesti was still certain that she wouldn't have liked staying home while her Master was on a six month mission.

_I just wish I had some time to rest. I'm so tired. It would have been nice to…_She fell asleep before she could finish the thought, tired as she was.

When she awoke, she was beneath her covers, and although her boots were on the carpeted floor beside her bed, she was still dressed. She looked over at the chrono next to her bed. It read 1:17 a.m.. Windu would have been asleep for a couple hours by now.

Nesti crept softly out of bed, packing one of her bags with the clothes that she always wore when she visited her homeworld, some music and a myNote, and essentials for travelling and slunk out of the quarters she shared with her Master, reporting an absence from the Temple at the front desk and catching a flight to Mandoria.

Obi-Wan started getting suspicious when he didn't see Nesti at class the next morning even though she had gotten back the night before. At first he thought she might just have been resting and would be at the after-lunch classes, but when the last class was dismissed and there was still no sign of Nesti, he started to search for her.

Just before evening meal, he made one last stop at the check-in desk for the Temple to see if she might have gone out to see the sights of Coruscant. He found her name on the list and looked for what time she'd checked out. _1:32 a.m.?_ He jumped as he read it, also startling the attendant at the desk. He decided to forfeit lunch and inform Mace of what he'd found.

Obi-Wan peaked through the door to the Master's eating area, trying to decide whether to go in right that minute or wait until Mace got out. _He'd be really angry if I waited,_ he thought, _but all the other Masters will be angry at me if I go in now. I'm not allowed, I shouldn't._ He sighed, taking a few steps away from the door, then stopped and resumed his original position. _But if I don't tell him now, Nesti could already be in the Capitol and then we'd really be stuck._

He took a deep breath and crept into the Master's eating area, trying to find Windu. _There._ Eating with his Master, laughing about some joke. _Sithspit! They're smack in the middle!_ He was turning to leave when one of the closer Masters noticed his presence and got up angrily.

"What are you doing here?" She asked loudly enough to quiet the rest of the eating Jedi in the hall. "You know Padawans aren't allowed here."

"I came to tell Master Windu something." Obi-Wan whispered, so quiet he could scarcely hear himself although the hall was quiet as a tomb.

"Excuse me, I didn't hear you." The accusing Master said in a nasty tone. "Would you explain this interruption more clearly?"

Obi-Wan wanted to die. He wanted to shrink into a puddle of acid and melt through the floor. He also wanted to strangle Master Tyla.

He gulped. Qui-Gon and Mace had gotten up and joined the crowd that was now surrounding him. His Master was giving him a curious stare, not one of disappointment of anger, which relieved him greatly. _The last thing I need right now is Qui-Gon shooting blaster bolts at me with his eyes. _He thought.

"We're waiting." Tyla said in sing-song tones. "Do tell us why you're here."

"Oh, give him a break, Master Tyla." Windu snapped, exasperated. "It can't be as big a deal as all that."

Obi-Wan breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He looked up at the big Council member and mouthed 'Thank you'. Windu nodded, then turned back to the Masters surrounding him. "Go back to your food, this does not concern you."

The crowds drained away quickly, eventually leaving Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Mace standing near the entrance to the eating area. Qui-Gon cleared his throat after a moment. "Why did you come here, Padawan? You knew someone would be offended."

"Yes, well, he didn't know that Tyla would go into hysterics. I mean really, lady! Give the poor kid a break! If that's how she treats Fayque, I should have him removed from her custody because that kind of behavior towards a Padawan is unacceptable!" Mace Windu said, growing louder and louder until he was shouting.

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon stared at Mace, then Qui-Gon chuckled softly. "Is something bothering you Mace?"

The Councilor scowled at the tiled floor. "You bet something's wrong. I can't find Nesti anywhere. Normally she reports to me as soon as classes are over, but she didn't today and she isn't in any of her usual places. That," he said softly, still staring at the floor, "and we had a really bad argument last night." Windu rubbed his face, looking up at the ceiling. "Our recent mission to Tatooine drained her, and she wanted some vacation time so she could visit her homeworld."

Obi-Wan gasped softly. "That would be where she'd have gone."

Mace and Qui-Gon spun around to face him. "Gone?" Windu asked incredulously. "What do you mean?"

Obi-Wan flushed. "That's what I came here about, Master Windu. She wasn't at morning or afternoon classes today, so I also searched for her and a few minutes ago I checked the front desk to see if maybe she checked out, and I discovered that she did—at 1:30 last night."

Mace stared at the Padawan for ten straight seconds before clenching his jaw. "Do you know where she lives?" Obi-Wan nodded. "Then you know how hard it will be to find her." He stated. Obi-Wan nodded again. Mace scrutinized Obi-Wan for a moment, then motioned for him and his Master to follow him as he left the eating area and headed for his chambers.

"You'll come with me to Mandoria." Mace said brusquely as he rushed down the hallways. "And you'll help me find Nesti."

Obi-Wan nodded again, then realized Mace couldn't see him and said yes.

"Good. I'll need you and your Master to pack. We leave first thing in the morning, I'll arrange a transport." Windu said as he stopped in front of a turbolift and punched the 'up' button. Once again, Obi-Wan nodded. "Good night, both of you." Mace said, entering the turbolift and pressing his floor number.

"Good night." Qui-Gon said as the doors shut and the lift _wooshed_ up to Windu's floor. The big man turned to Obi-Wan, and for a moment he was afraid that Qui-Gon would give him a lecture, but his fears were unfounded.

"You heard the man, we need to get packing." Jinn said with mock severity. "We have a girlie to find."

Obi-Wan laughed, moved for the next turbolift and pressed the 'up' button. "And all we have to find her with is a Padawan, a Council member, and an overgrown, bearded girlie."

Qui-Gon gaped at his apprentice as the doors _swished_ open and they entered the turbolift. After a few moments of simply opening and shutting his mouth, he grumbled, "Make that two girlies."

Obi-Wan tried not to laugh again, just barely succeeding. "I don't think Windu would like being called that name."

The Jedi Master groaned as the doors opened again and they stepped out onto their floor, resulting in Obi-Wan's suppressed laughter coming out, which in turn caused some of the Jedi who needed to turn in early to embark on early missions emerge from their chambers and glare at the passing team. He only laughed harder, creating a deadly circle which had Qui-Gon blushing, fuming, and groaning by the time they reached their quarters and packed for the following morning.

"Remind me next time not to say anything if my unruly Padawan calls me an awful name." He requested of no one in particular. "Or at least teach me to let go."

It took them an hour and a half to pack (because Obi-Wan hid all of Qui-Gon's stuff), so they went to bed almost immediately after they finished. Right before Obi-Wan lay down, however, he found Qui-Gon in the main area of the quarters flipping through an old scrapbook. Obi-Wan craned his neck to see the title, _BFF's_. Qui-Gon noticed the move and glanced up at his Padawan, noting the expression of curiosity on his face and moved over so Obi-Wan could sit next to him.

Upon sitting, Obi-Wan saw that the pictures contained within the scrapbook were a few decades old of his Master and a strange girl. Qui-Gon flipped a couple of the pages and revealed some pictures only a decade or two old of himself and…_Tahl? Those are pictures of him and Tahl._ Obi-Wan thought, glancing up at his Master and snuggling in closer. A few more flipped pages showed pictures of Qui-Gon and a young boy, a little younger than Obi-Wan, sitting on a boulder overlooking a gorgeous view. It took him a few moments to figure out that the boy was Xanatos.

He involuntarily shuddered. _Qui-Gon looks so young, and they both look so…happy. Qui-Gon's smiling like Xanatos is his own son and they're at an amusement park having the time of their lives._ He sighed. _I wish I could make him smile like that._

Qui-Gon flipped the last page over to reveal recent pictures of himself and Tahl. Obi-Wan figured they must have been recent because Tahl was blind in them. This time Qui-Gon sighed and closed the book. Obi-Wan noted that there was room for more pictures in it and wondered if Qui-Gon was sad that he was unable to fill them up, then stood.

"I should probably get to bed." Obi-Wan murmured, feeling tired even as he said the words. He yawned. "I'm really tired."

Qui-Gon chuckled softly even though his eyes held a hint of sadness. "You don't have to tell me, Obi-Wan. Go on. I'll see you in the morning."

Obi-Wan obeyed, entering his room and slipping under his covers. His last thought before dropping off to sleep was that he hoped that this one night of waiting didn't prevent them from ever finding Nesti.

Even as Obi-Wan was thinking about her, Nesti was relaxing at one of the spas in Jangx. It wasn't the Capitol city, Manjere, or even a large city, but one renowned for its spas and resorts. She had decided that before she checked in with her royal parents just yet, she needed to make a stop here.

She wasn't anywhere near to regretting her decision to leave the Temple for a couple weeks to visit home, see some sights, and just relax. She'd only felt guilty once as she signed her name on the sign-out pad at the Temple about leaving her Master without even leaving him a note, but she knew if she'd done that, he'd have come for her immediately, making this trip anything but restful.

Nesti yawned and exited the heating pool chamber, taking her Mandorian wear from off the shelf and headed to one of the changing rooms. When she finished changing into her dry clothes, she visited one of the markets to purchase some jewelry for when she visited her parents. Her mother hated when she came without some kind of gold, silver, or jewel on her, and her Master had confiscated all her earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc. when she was apprenticed to him.

She scowled for a second, then shoved all thoughts of her Master out of her head, instead concentrating on the stalls selling their merchandise and searching for one that sold jewelry. She found one that was advertising gold and diamond pieces and maneuvered her way through the crowd to that stand. There was already a handful of women standing near it, gazing wishfully at its contents. Nesti pushed by them and pulled out her wallet with the Royale card she always carried with her on the slim chance she could get herself out of trouble by being Mandorian Royalty.

After letting her gaze roam over the items for a few minutes, she selected a large diamond ring with gold designs encasing the gem and a necklace with a silver chain and a golden dove pendant—a symbol of a princess. That particular item not only required a lot of money, but also a Royale card to purchase it. When she proceeded to buy the products and she handed over her card, the salesman stared at her. Then he held out his hand.

"Show me your arm please."

Nesti shrank back slightly. "Why?"

The man rolled his eyes. "Because I want to know if you stole that card or not."

Nesti rolled her eyes back at him. "Fine."

When the man had her arm and rolled up her sleeve to reveal the symbol on her arm, he bowed deeply. "Princess, it is good to have you home."

Nesti wanted to roll her eyes again. _Yeah, I bet._ She thought. _Obi-Wan would have rolled his eyes for me. He'd have…_Sithspit! She'd forgotten about Obi-Wan! _I have to contact him!_

She smiled, unconvincingly, and took the pieces and her card from the salesman. "Thank you, kind sir." She rushed away to one of the shuttle cars and ordered a private one so she could contact her friend in peace. When she ducked down into the quiet interior, she told the driver to just take her wherever he thought she might like, put down her bag, and pulled out her comlink, pushing in Obi-Wan's comlink frequency.

After a few agonizing moments of silence, he answered. "Kenobi here."

Nesti took a deep breath. "Obi-Wan? It's me."

So…how did you like it? Did I do okay for fluff? I'll include the scrapbook in later chapters. In case you were wondering, Tahl gave Qui-Gon the scrapbook when they were apprenticed to their Masters, which would be why a serious guy like him would own a scrapbook titled 'BFF's'. So anyways, I'm (eventually) going to finish 'The Chosen Sacrifice', I'm just trying to figure out the ending.

Arrivederci! (I think…)


	4. Chapter 4:  Complications

**I'm sorry about the last chapter—the lines I put down ended up not showing in the finished product, so I'll be trying ****s this time.**

** Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or Jedi Apprentice. Unfortunately, I wasn't born years ago, nor am I an identity thief to have stolen George Lucas. If you didn't already know that, I'm kind of surprised that you can read these words. Either that, or you are inexperienced with Fanfiction. In that case, Welcome!**

**Also, I have a poll on my page that will soon be irrelevant—it is so you can vote on what story I shall start on next, although I do have a couple ideas outside of the poll that I need to start soon, such as: Afraid of Flight, Horrible, For Better or Worse, and Starring…(the dots are part of the title). I'll give the summaries in the next chapter.**

**That, and this chapter will be really, really long. (Really. I need to get two/three parts done in one so we can get to the main theme.)**

**Anyways, enough of me. Now for the story.**

Chapter Four: Find and Retrieve

Obi-Wan was awoken about twenty minutes after he fell asleep by his comm beeping. _Why?_ Was all that Obi-Wan was capable of thinking as he groped for his comlink. "Kenobi here." He mumbled.

"Obi-Wan? It's me." He jumped at the familiarity in the higher-pitched voice omitting from his comlink.

"Nesti?" He asked. The voice on the other end let out a crackling sigh.

"Who did you think I was, Siri?" Nesti said, meaning it to be sarcastic. Obi-Wan cleared his throat, embarrassed.

"Actually, I was considering that." He replied, trying not to sound as flustered as he was.

"Oookay…" Nesti said. "Anyways, I was just calling to tell you I'm on—."

"Drugs?" Obi-Wan interrupted impatiently.

Nesti could only breathe for a second, startled and a bit frustrated. "No, I'm on—."

"Mandoria." Obi-Wan interrupted again, hurriedly. "You're on Mandoria because you felt you needed a break. Boy, Master Windu did not see that one coming."

Nesti cleared her throat on the other end. "Yeah, well,"

"What do you want me to say, Nesti?" Obi-Wan asked, feeling really tired now. "'I'll cover for you, don't worry about a thing, and don't forget to have fun'?"

Nesti sighed again. "I was kind of hoping for that."

"Sucks for you," Obi-Wan barked. "That isn't what happened."

"Meaning what?" Nesti asked, sounding frantic. "What did you do? What did you say?"

"I did the right thing and told Mace the instant I knew something was wrong." Obi-Wan said, close to shouting now. "You had no right to leave no matter how tired you are, Nesti! You—." He didn't get to finish because Qui-Gon opened the door to his room and turned on the light. He nodded at the comlink.

"Who are you talking to that's getting you all riled up?" The Master asked quietly, moving to sit on Obi-Wan's bed.

"Nesti. She's comming from Mandoria, the selfish little—."

"Obi-Wan." It was Qui-Gon's turn to bark. "Get over it." More gently, he continued, "Seriously though, what's the problem? I've never seen you like this for such a small reason."

Obi-Wan flushed, looking down at his pillow. _If I tell him he'll think I'm stupid._ He thought, pulling his shields tight. "I guess I'm just tired." He mumbled, pulling his pillow up to his chest. Qui-Gon didn't appear to be satisfied, but he backed off.

"Alright, I guess I'll just have to—."

"Uh, hello? Is Sir Grouchy still there?" The voice coming from the comlink made both of them jump.

Obi-Wan picked up the comlink, wanting to just ditch the call and tell Qui-Gon everything. "Only if Madame…Madame…" He had to think for a moment before finishing. "Madame Vexatious is there to listen."

"Madame what?" Nesti asked.

"Annoying." Obi-Wan replied shortly, having to fight to keep from grinning. "Look in the dictionary."

"You could have just said that outrightly and saved yourself a humiliating few seconds. I mean, what good does a comeback do if it's ill-timed?"

"None whatsoever." Obi-Wan said cheerily. "Good night."

But before he could sever the connection, Nesti's voice broke through once more. "You know you can't come after me."

A pit formed in Obi-Wan's stomach. "You can't possibly have reached Manjere yet."

"But by the time you get here I'll be long gone." Nesti whispered. "You know that no human is allowed in the Capitol without an escort of a Mandorian who is willing to risk being sent to the…the Camest mines, and you'll be hard-put to find one of those."

"I know." Obi-Wan sighed. "But you must know that if I have to do a blood transplant, I'll find you."

He could hear Nesti laughing bitterly on the other end. "But then what would be the point? The lineups for those suckers are six months long, and by then I'll be back."

"You know what I mean, just _please_ don't make me go that far." He pleaded, trying to signal for Qui-Gon to stay as the man was leaving, unsuccessfully.

Another sigh from the other end. "I won't, no worries."

Obi-Wan took a breath to reply, but Nesti had cut the connection, so he popped up and rushed out his door. "Qui-Gon," He said before he could stop himself.

Qui-Gon turned around, fixing his icy blue gaze on Obi-Wan. "Yes, Padawan?"

"Would you please read me something?" _Sith, that sounds stupid coming from a nineteen-year-old._ Seeing the disbelieving expression on his Master's face, he continued, "You read 'Nellic' last time I was sick and I-I really enjoyed it."

A strange expression crept over Qui-Gon's face as he considered the prospect. Obi-Wan held his breath, waiting for Qui-Gon to shake his head 'no' and leave the room chuckling. After a few agonizing minutes Qui-Gon walked over to the shelf and selected 'Titia's Curse' from the shelves, scrolling through the story as he turned back to Obi-Wan.

Once Qui-Gon had completed his inspection of the novel, he looked up at his Padawan, a light shining in his eyes that hadn't been there a few moments before. "I think you're old enough for this one now. It's one of those horror stories that makes you feel…cozy-ish. I really enjoyed it when I was your age and—." He didn't get to finish his sentence because Obi-Wan was smiling lopsidedly.

"I wouldn't care were it the scariest story ever written, if only you were to read it."

"O-okay then, into bed with you." Qui-Gon said with mock severity as he headed towards his Padawan's bedroom. "I can't really attempt putting you to sleep with you standing on your own two feet now, can I?"

Obi-Wan laughed and followed Qui-Gon into his room, all of his frustration and weariness draining away.

Nesti sighed heavily as she replaced her comlink, and then jolted as the shuttle car driver stopped the shuttle abruptly. The man turned in his seat and gave her a friendly smile. "I was going to take you to the rose gardens ma'am, but once I heard that conversation with your friend, I decided to take you to the Rheind."

Nesti stared curiously at the sign directing visitors to 'Check In'. "What's the Rheind? I haven't been home in awhile and…I've kind of been out of the loop."

"Like I said, I listened to your conversation. Anyways, the Rheind is a thrill center—in fact, it is the biggest thrill center in Mandoria, saving for Tracia in Manjere, surely you've heard of the Tracia."

Nesti shook her head, feeling confused. "No, I'm afraid not." She sighed.

The driver shook _his_ head. "Ouch. So, Mandorian thrill centers are what you Outsiders—sorry, Coruscantians—have dubbed 'amusement parks'. Queen Urvien decided that 'amusement' wasn't really a very realistic name for those…parks. She ended up turning them into 'thrill parks'." He sighed and turned in his seat. "Unfortunately, with the name changed, there were no longer any limits for how scary—or thrilling—the rides had to be. Some of them are good only for Mandorians within the ages of 10 and 600. Any older and they would have mental trouble for decades after."

"Oh…" Nesti replied, noting some of the rides s_whoosh_ing into the air, then _sllik_ing back down, causing the delight—and occasionally blank-minded terror—of its passengers. "And why would I want to come here?"

The driver turned to face her, a glint of laughter in his eyes. "Because on most of those rides—excluding the carousel—make you forget anything bad that's on your mind except for the overwhelming need to scream. It's really fun, too, and I know a couple people who could help you…"

Nesti snorted. "If you really did hear my conversation what makes you think I couldn't just whistle and have someone come to take me to Manjere?"

"You don't want anyone to get hurt trying to find you because you know that your friend would keep his promise and possibly ruin everything. You don't want that."

Nesti growled under her breath. _What is this guy, Force-sensitive? How does he know all this stuff? Oh right, he was evesdropping on me. Wonderful._ She put on a smile, however, and reached for the door. "I can take care of myself, but thanks anyways. I'm sure I'll—." She stopped when the driver pressed the interior lock button on his door, locking her in.

The man turned to her, his eyes sad. "You don't remember me, Nesti?"

She thought for a moment, then her eyes grew wide with realization. "Morren? My father's assistant? What…how…w-why on earth are you here? I missed you so much!" They both laughed as she reached over the seat and hugged him.

"You missed me? I missed _you._ You're the only fun one in the family—so sweet and spicy with an unbeatable sense of humor…I missed you."

A horn sounded from the thrill center, making both of them jump. Nesti chuckled, relieved for the diversion. "I guess we'd better get in there. I don't plan on sitting here and getting startled every five minutes by a rouge horn."

Now it was Morren's turn to chuckle. "I think you'll be worse startled when you're on one of those…thrill-bringer thingies…so don't go relaxing anytime soon."

Nesti reached around Morren and pressed the 'unlock' button. She opened her door then stopped and turned back to her father's friend, giving him a half smile. "Where should we stop first? The ticket booth, or your friend's place?"

Morren appeared to think for a moment, then grinned. "Ticket booth. You won't want your boy wig slipping off on one of the rides."

Leaving her with that, he opened his door, got out, and headed for the thrill center's elaborate gates.

Qui-Gon Jinn closed the book at approximately 11:29 after sitting and watching his padawan sleep for about ten minutes. _He looks so much younger when he's sleeping…_the Master thought, reaching out to brush a stray hair from Obi-Wan's forehead, then pulling back, not wanting to disturb his sleep.

Qui-Gon smiled affectionately at the sleeping figure, and then he stood, exiting the room and closing the door behind him. He walked into the common room—_So quiet without Obi-Wan to converse with_—and sat on the sofa, reaching for the 'BFF's' book. When he had it on his lap and opened, he didn't look at the pictures as he usually did, instead turning to the back of the book where all the empty pages were. He smiled and set the book down on the table, getting up and going into his room for a few moments.

When he emerged, he was carrying a box of holo-stills, some stiki-plast, and a pen. Once those were on the table he headed into the kitchen and returned with the kitchen scissors and some flimsy—and also wondering why he had decided to store flimsy in the kitchen. For a few hours he was cutting, sticking, writing, and chuckling to himself…and a few hours later he had a few of the empty pages filled.

Qui-Gon yawned, closed the book and cleaned up his supplies. It was only when he glanced at the chrono over the heater that he realized that he had been awake for far too long. _Sithspit! This is exactly what I didn't want to do._ He sighed, still unable to contain a smile. _No matter how grumpy I am in the morning it will be worth it to see him smile._ He thought happily, walking to his room and going to sleep—at 1:47.

The next morning Qui-Gon was woken up by incessant buzzing. He reached for his alarm chrono, but when he hit 'snooze', the buzzing still continued. "What the…" He groaned, sitting up and wincing from his protesting back. _I'm really getting old._ He thought mournfully, moving towards the door.

Obi-Wan beat him to the punch.

When the Padawan opened the door, Mace Windu whirled in, tripping over Obi-Wan, then swiftly apologizing. "I'm sorry, Padawan Kenobi, I thought that Qui-Gon would answer the door."

"Qui-Gon," Qui-Gon grunted, leaning against his doorframe, "was sleeping. He currently wishes to return to his slumbering state."

While Mace Windu growled, Obi-Wan was coughing as though he had caught a deadly virus trying to disguise his laughter.

"Well, you may tell Qui-Gon that the time reads approximately eleven hundred hours. We. Need. To. Go."

Qui-Gon stared at him, too shocked to move as his Padawan went to gather their packs. "I-I couldn't have slept that long. I went to bed at one…"

Obi-Wan popped back in the room. "You went to bed _when?_"

"I-one." Qui-Gon stuttered, wishing he'd said nothing. "Go finish packing."

"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan murmured, nodding and heading into the other room.

"Don't you have an alarm?" Mace Windu asked, irritated. "Because when Obi-Wan fell asleep in his 'Senate Critique' class, he blamed it on you waking him up."

"I told you." Qui-Gon moaned, rubbing his hand over his face. "I was up late last night. I never wake up at a decent time when I stay up late. You know that."

Mace snorted. "Yeah, I remember _you_ falling asleep during your classes and blaming it on staying up late doing homework…which you conveniently left in your chambers."

The Council member shouldered his way into the apartments grouchily, while Qui-Gon followed him, protesting, "I really was doing my homework!"

Mace snorted again, beginning to sound like a horse. "Yeah. You were doing homework, my butt."

That stopped Qui-Gon in his tracks. "Your—I beg your pardon."

Mace also stopped, flushing as well as he could for his skin tone. "Sorry, I picked that up from the little brat that ran away on me. I'm gonna get her." He growled, storming into the room Obi-Wan was in, picked up all the bags in his massive arms, then retreated and dumped them in a heap on the floor at the door. "Let's go."

**Like it? Love it? Want more of it? Feel free to tell me. I am really sorry about the long wait. I do try.**

**So, I should have the survey up on my page by the 8****th**** of October, in which I would like you to vote on your favorite story idea, details are already on my page. If you would like a voice in the next story I work on, that would be the place to go.**

**Have fun doing whatever you do, guys!**


	5. Chapter 5:  Found

**Okay, so maybe I didn't write a really long chapter last time. I don't know, I guess that 2,590 words was good for me…didn't really want to write more than that for one chapter. So in this chapter some of the good stuff starts happenin'—but we still don't see the main plot yet. :D That is because I just need this chapter—and maybe one more—to finish off this part of the plot, and then I'll be able to get to the part I've been excited about for a really long time; that particular section will probably be four or five chapters long, so…yeah.**

** All I own of this story is…well…the storyline. I own none of the characters in it. Nor do I own the money. This sucks because I need an iTouch. :b**

Chapter Five: Found

Obi-Wan was staring hard at the grey rain beating against the speeder windows. He, Qui-Gon and Mace Windu had docked at Mandoria over an hour ago—they had been trying to find a place of lodging for over forty-five minutes. Obi-Wan sighed.

"For the last time, there are no inns on this continent."

Mace pinched his lips tight as he shifted uncomfortably in the driver's seat. "And, young _Padawan_, why might that be?"

Obi-Wan glared at Mace. "Everyone here has somewhere to stay. I already told you, not very many outsiders are accepted, only ambassadors."

Mace Windu grumbled something uncomplimentary under his breath, and then turned towards Qui-Gon. "He reminds me of you at that age." Mace said grouchily. "Knows too much, only too eager to share everything he knows."

"Hey, you asked me." Obi-Wan retorted.

Qui-Gon stared uncomfortably at the two Jedi he was sharing the vehicle with, then focused his gaze back on the road and groaned. What came out of his mouth then, Obi-Wan had not expected. "I need to stop at the restroom."

Obi-Wan couldn't help smiling as he turned to stare out the window. _Some people will try to stop a fight using brute force, others will try to stop an argument using diplomacy…and Qui-Gon will take a bathroom break._

Nesti woke suddenly, trying to remember where she was. After a few moments of staring frantically around the room, she remembered that she was in the home of one of Morren's contacts. The day before, she and Morren had had an amazing time at the thrill park, and then Morren had taken her to see one of his friends who he claimed could disguise her and bring her to Manjere in quiet. The only catch was that there were no tickets to Manjere available except for escort passes, and you needed a trained escort to join one of those.

She remembered only too well the woman's forlorn expression as she explained the dilemma. "Unfortunately, the only escort positions left available are men's positions. I can't take you. If I were younger, I might pass for a male, but…it's just not possible now."

Nesti suddenly sat up in the bed her new caretaker had lent her for a few nights. Something seemed wrong. _The only escort positions left available are men's positions…If I were younger, I might pass for a male…The only escort positions are for men…if I were younger…__**if I were younger…**_

Nesti ran out of the room, calling for Telethon, the owner of the house. "Telathia! I have an idea!"

An hour or so later, (Telathia was taking a shower when she'd called) Nesti was sitting breathless on one of the bar stools in the kitchen, having just finished relating her entire idea to the woman. Telathia set her caffe down on the table.

"Okay, let me get this straight: You want me to outfit you in boy clothes, boy I.D., a boy wig, and a corset?" She said incredulously. Nesti watched her hopefully and with a sinking stomach as she picked up her caffe and stirred it. When she looked up with a huge grin on her face, however, all of Nesti's fears dispersed. "Sounds like fun. So…Nulton Square after breakfast?"

Nesti smiled radiantly. "No…Nulton Square is for girls. How about the Rotundi?"

"Sounds cool." Telathia remarked. "Can't wait."

They spent the day browsing through guy apparel stores at the Rotundi center. They eventually found two pairs of sneakers, a pair of guy leggings, a green, completely non-flattering tunic, and a wig with ear-length, scraggly brown hair. When they got back to the residence, Telathia found Nesti a corset, and they put the entire outfit together.

"Wow." Nesti said after a long stare in the mirror. "I look horrible."

Telathia appeared shocked. "What are you, three?"

Nesti in turned stared at Telathia. "What's that for?"

"Your voice." Was all the woman had to say.

Nesti chuckled, and then continued in a deeper voice, "Of course I'm not three. I haven't been three in twelve years—."

"Twenty years." Telathia corrected. "Just to be safe."

"…twenty years. I'm a big boy now."

When Nesti turned from her reflection in the mirror to look at Telathia, the lady was coughing in a very unconvincing way. "Yeah…try not to do that—we don't want your fellow escorts to think of you as retarded."

Obi-Wan sat down hard on one of the benches outside of the Mandorian Department of Transportation building. "I can't believe that all of the tickets are gone. We can't even disguise ourselves as royalty to get to Manjere." Mace was growling as he and Qui-Gon skulked out of the building.

"What's worse," Qui-Gon added. "We can't take our speeder there without an escort. The security here is…"

"Really good?" Obi-Wan finished for him. "Excellent, cautious, and perhaps maybe a little bit overprotective."

"I was trying to think of something more uncomplimentary, but that will do just as well." Qui-Gon remarked.

They sat in the pouring rain in silence for a few minutes until the rain randomly stopped and the sun broke out of the clouds within the space of a few seconds.

Mace sighed and shook his head. "Even the location is random."

"Weather." The Padawan/Master team sitting beside him corrected.

"Whatever. The people here are random, the spaceport schedule is random. And now the weather is random. Perfect."

"You're just grumpy because I can keep my Padawan in line and you can't." Qui-Gon joked.

"I wouldn't call Melida/Daan keeping your Padawan in line." Mace retorted.

Obi-Wan sank lower on the bench as the two masters started fighting. Finally, when he'd had enough, he stood and walked in front of them. "Or, we could just hire an escort." He suggested in a tone just short of disrespectful.

Both masters stopped arguing instantaneously. For a few blessed moments, they were silent, then Mace said, "But…how would we hide the fact that we're Jedi? I mean—Qui-Gon and I are Jedi, you are just a Padawan—imagine in a world where no outsiders are permitted except ambassadors, how would people react if some strangers from Coruscant—not well known for its friendliness—suddenly showed up and were requesting an escort to their capitol city?"

"I—I don't know. I didn't think that far." Obi-Wan admitted.

Qui-Gon stood and patted his shoulder. "That's alright. You're not supposed to know everything yet, and your idea was the best I've heard all day. I'm proud of you."

After another brief pause, Mace stood. "Let's go inside and request an escort." He said brusquely.

It took them hours to go through the line, and after watching Mandorian upon Mandorian get denied transportation to Manjere, whether it was for a family reunion or a big company dinner, they were getting pretty nervous. When it was their turn to apply for an escort, it took another half-hour for Mace Windu to fill out the paperwork and then another fifteen to twenty minutes standing in yet another line to drop it off. When they reached the drop-off bin and saw that the wait for the notifications would take another six hours, Mace nearly started crying.

Fortunately for Obi-Wan's appetite, however, the money the office received each year must have been more than enough to provide a large buffet section near the back of the building. As Obi-Wan felt as though he'd implode from his hunger—the bantha burger pictured on the sign made him want to eat the sign itself—the thought of a buffet (only 5 credits a person!) was enough to make him feel like the wait wasn't all _that_ long. After he asked Qui-Gon for the credits and had eaten to his heart's content (he had needed to pay 10 more credits), however, it had only been two hours and the other four hours seemed to stretch before him like a desert with no mountains in the distance or dunes to break the bright, hot monotony. All in all, the day was proving to be a very bad one.

By 2200 that night, the place was starting to close down and their number still hadn't been called. Obi-Wan had just woken up from a nap and Mace looked in dire need of one. At 2230, however, their number was finally called and they were directed to a room full of sleepy-looking boys and men.

They waited as someone read their reason for needing to go to Manjere—Mace's daughter, also Qui-Gon's niece and Obi-Wan's cousin—had run away and they had reason to believe that she had escaped to Manjere. At this, one of the boys looked up.

He had ragged, brown hair, Obi-Wan noticed, and a grey tunic and leggings with shockingly red sneakers. The only other thing shocking about him were his oddly familiar eyes that looked down at the floor as soon and suddenly as they met his own. _He's awfully thin_. He thought, not knowing why he thought it. _And he seems oddly familiar_…

"I'll guide them." The young man said, his deep, strained voice echoing through the quiet room. "Seems like an interesting venture to me."

"Pardon me, but you shouldn't get to choose." Windu said coldly. "What kind of system is this? No one gets escorted to Manjere unless the boy wants to?"

Again, there was odd familiarity in the icy look that the boy shot at Mace. "That assumption is correct, sir. And please don't call me boy. My name is Wequel, and I'm twenty-one. I don't have to escort you if you don't want me to." He added.

Mace scowled. "Whatever." After that, he kept quiet as Wequel and Qui-Gon worked out a trail to take, then led them out to their speeder and started securing their things for the drive. At one point, Wequel and Obi-Wan were working side-by-side, and Obi-Wan again felt a sense of familiarity. _Where do I know him from?_

The question stuck with him as they started off down the road towards the first checkpoint.

Nesti's temper simmered beneath the surface as she negotiated the speeder towards the first checkpoint in their drive. _How dare he question me? For all he knows, I could take him down. I could take him down if I wanted to—him and his Jedi Order. I could bring them all to the Mandorian court for saying something like that, and I'd win the case._ But he didn't know that, she knew. And she didn't _really_ want to hurt him…just wanted him to know how powerful she was—_I've been away from the Jedi Temple too long if I'm thinking like that._ She smacked herself in the head and Qui-Gon looked over at her worried from the passenger seat.

"Is everything alright?" He asked incredulously.

_Stupid, stupid. _"Yeah, I'm fine. I just…"_ What now? He's staring at me like I grew horns—oh Force, my voice! I forgot to—_"Sorry, I get moments like that sometimes where my voice gets high. Aah…laryngitis. Erm…spotty laryngitis. Doesn't affect me all the time like it used to."

"It must have been rough going through high school with a voice like a three-year-olds." Obi-Wan said from the backseat. She couldn't help giggling.

"We, ah, don't do high school until we're fifty—until then we learn from our parents."

"And where are yours?" Mace asked.

"I—they're dead." She said bluntly in her 21 year-old-guy voice. "Been dead awhile. It's the same with all of my friends at the transpordepot. You can't be under fifty and work there without not having parents."

Mace scratched his chin. "How is it that Mandorians can wait until they're 50 to begin their education?"

_Oh, Mace, never stopping to think about the personal aspect of anything._ "We're immortal. Fifty to us is like five to you."

"What about babies and stuff? How old do you have to be to have kids?"

"Me, sir?" She asked, hiding a smile.

"Oh…no, not you. Just in general."

"We need to be…ooh…about seventy-five to have kids."

"Seventy-five? That's forever!" Qui-Gon exclaimed.

Nesti turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "No, sir. Our lifetimes are forever." His quizzical expression proved to her that he couldn't grasp that. And honestly, she couldn't blame him. _Now take what you are feeling and imagine that you can't die. Ever. And you are never going to die of old age. THAT is disconcerting._ "Imagine being seven-hundred and fifty-eight years old, and looking like a teenager of your species. Or five thousand and eight and looking like you do now."

There was a long moment of silence in the speeder as they thought about that. "I wouldn't like that." Mace said softly. "I would hate it."

She stopped the conversation then because they were pulling up to the checkpoint. After they'd negotiated it, the trip started going smoothly. In their speeder, the trip was estimated to take a few weeks at least, but they had miles and miles of mountain views, shining lakes, and gushing streams so it didn't seem to take that long. Every night after they stopped, they would sit around the fire that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon would gather firewood for and Mace would set up—obviously one of his hidden talents—cook their food and tell stories about all their adventures (although hers were almost always made up, making them the most unrealistic). She found that Mace had been quite the mischievous young boy before he'd been apprenticed to Yoda. He had always been putting a tack in some teacher's chair or pouring ink in someone's hair. He even once short-sheeted Dooku's bed (that had Qui-Gon staring at him strangely), and put Yoda's hand in warm water while the poor Master was sleeping. The strange thing was that despite that shortcoming, Yoda had still taken him.

It was now the twenty-fifth day of their trip and they were nearly to Manjere. Nesti had woken up that morning feeling uneasy and was grouchy to everyone all day. Several times she'd gotten strange looks from Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Mace. She wanted to stop, but something was on the edge of her consciousness, warning her about impending doom.

They had been driving up the road for awhile when Obi-Wan leaned towards her—Qui-Gon was driving with Windu in the passenger seat—and whispered, "You feel it too?"

Nesti stared at him. "How'd you know?"

Obi-Wan stared pointedly back at her. She sighed. "Fine. Yes, I have a bad feeling." Suddenly, a wave of giddiness washed over her. "Wow," she whispered. "My first bad feeling!"

Obi-Wan glared at her, then let out a sigh of his own and sat back in his seat. "I wish I knew what was going to happen."

"So do—what was that?" The second part of what came out of her mouth then had more to do with surprise and shock than what Obi-Wan had just said.

Qui-Gon stopped the vehicle. Peering out into the trees, he said, "I think it could be a wild animal of some type. That, or a guard of the city."

Nesti's stomach sank. _How could I have forgotten the Yeiley?_ The Yeiley were a fierce band of warriors decended from Yeilin, the great fighter who won Mandoria for the natives. They were used as guard troops for Manjere—a defense in case of raids. Most of the time, escorts and other authorized transportation were allowed to get past them. They only stopped travelers if they were suspicious. _And this being foreign by style…_

The worst problem, though, was that if they stopped you, you were stuck there or escorted back to where you had come from…unless you were royalty.

Suddenly, all four of them screamed. A large boulder had crashed into the faint path less than four feet ahead of them, and a group of black and green cloaked Mandorians stepped out of the foliage. They spoke in her native tongue, commanding them to exit the speeder and surrender any and all weapons over to them.

Although Nesti stepped out, her friends didn't. They remained where they were, clueless as to what was going on. When the warriors started to move towards them, she knew she had to do something."

"Stop!" She cried in Mandorian. "Please, these are my friends!"

"Your friends?" Several of them asked. The ringleader was not distracted by her phrasing and proceeded to tell her what kinds of things could happen to them for violating the law.

_I can't tell him that they don't understand the language—then it will definitely be out that they're outsiders, and they could be killed either way._ She thought.

The man was moving towards the speeder menacingly, brandishing his Karheath, a weapon much like a lightsaber, only one that needed a sheath. Nesti jumped in front of him, pulling up her sleeve and revealing her tattoo marking her as princess. In her normal voice, she said, "You are not permitted to injure them in any way."

The man stared at the tattoo, then at her. He motioned for his men to kneel and did likewise as she explained how he was to go about treating her friends. The entire time she could feel the Jedi's stares on the back of her neck. _I'm so sorry I had to lie to you._ She thought.

When she was through dealing with them, she turned to Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Mace. For a long time they stayed as they were—them staring at her, and her staring at them in turn. Finally, Mace used the Force to open the side door. "Come, Padawan." He said quietly. "It's time to come home."

Nesti sat gratefully in the speeder as it turned around and headed back from whence it came. "Not that you aren't in huge trouble, of course." Windu said in his deep voice. "I'm just so happy to see you right now that my mind can't process any possible punishments."

Nesti grinned. It was good to be herself again.

**So…how'dya like? You don't have to hit the 'review' button, but it would be nice. :b Although it does seem a shame to ask for reviews when I had so much fun writing this! And I'm sure if you enjoyed this, you'll love the next couple chapters.**

**Arrivederci!**


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